The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Innovation and Digital Summit

Last October, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Innovation and Digital summit took place, jointly hosted by the NPCC Digital, Data and Technology and Science and Innovation Coordination Committees and organised by the Police Digital Service.

Over three days, over 700 delegates from across policing, Government and industry joined together to explore what the future for policing might look like, with a focus on the need for better collaboration between law enforcement and industry to utilise technology and transform the way we operate.

Throughout, speakers shared their views on the important role of technology, not least with Sir Brian Leveson who highlighted how fragmentation and inconsistencies between policing IT impacts the wider criminal justice system, touching on the significant benefits of a nationally consistent approach to technology.

Other speakers, included:

National Data and Analytics Office (NDAO) Director Kate Fisher-Stevens, who shared an update on how the NDAO aims to unlock the potential of policing data, ensuring:

A national framework for data management to ensure consistency across all forces in the way we collect, store and use data

Insight led decision making to intercept criminal activity sooner, allowing the safeguarding of those most vulnerable to risk and harm without delay

Better performance, productivity and data-driven problem solving across the criminal justice system.

Looking ahead at the future of policing, Chief Police Scientific Advisor Paul Taylor said that scaling up existing innovations could save policing well in excess of his previous estimate of £340 million, as well as 15 million personnel hours. He talked about the need to maintain local innovation and better evaluate what works, creating a culture where intelligent failure is encouraged.

In a session exploring the role of technology in wider police reform, AC Louisa Rolfe described the exploitation of data and technology as a golden thread, emphasising that it will drive better crime prevention, increase efficiency and enhance national decision making – crucial in the delivery of the Safer Streets mission.

In closing the event, Chief Constable Rob Carden reinforced the importance of recognising the intrinsic link between technology and operational policing, the need to invest in a digital, data literate workforce and, in announcing the recent NPCC x TechUK partnership, the need to work collaboratively with industry to embrace the opportunities presented by technology.

Also talking to the need for policing to work better with industry, Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan launched the NPCC Problem Book; a document which outlines the issues being faced by policing and the public, to explore how existing technologies might help to solve them.

A key event highlight saw the NPCC Innovation and Digital awards taking place, in celebration of the fantastic work already taking place to transform our service.